Tinsel is on our Naughty List!
- posted: Nov. 23, 2019
Every year we share some holiday safety tips to help keep your pet family members healthy and safe during the holiday season. We especially want to remind you that this year (and every year) tinsel is on our naughty list!
Oh tinsel...you are so sparkly, shiny and eye-catching...you are also sneaky, tangly and strangly... Your furry family members share the same glassy-eyed, quiet sighs of appreciation as we do for this shimmery beauty, and are drawn to this deadly decoration like moths to a flame!
So how can this "icing on the cake" of our Christmas trees be such hazard? Often our pet family members are attracted to play with these shiny long "worms" and like any other interesting prey, they have to bite or taste it! Once ingested, tinsel can either become trapped under the tongue as they try to swallow it, or should it make it down whole, it likes to wreak havoc on the gastrointestinal system. As the intestines contract, trying to move contents along, the stringy tinsel is hesitant to move. This results in an accordian-style bunching of the intestines which is not only painful, but also will usually result in vomiting, diarrhea and inappetance. If surgery is not performed to remove it in a timely matter, the trapped tinsel can actually start to saw through the intestines leading to perforations of the intestines and ultimately death!
To avoid this major risk, we have a simple solution: No tinsel in the house = No tinsel in the intestines!
If at any time, you have a concern that your pet may have ingested tinsel or any other potentially hazardous substance, always err on the side of caution and schedule an examination with one of our veterinarians!
- posted: Nov. 23, 2019
Every year we share some holiday safety tips to help keep your pet family members healthy and safe during the holiday season. We especially want to remind you that this year (and every year) tinsel is on our naughty list!
Oh tinsel...you are so sparkly, shiny and eye-catching...you are also sneaky, tangly and strangly... Your furry family members share the same glassy-eyed, quiet sighs of appreciation as we do for this shimmery beauty, and are drawn to this deadly decoration like moths to a flame!
So how can this "icing on the cake" of our Christmas trees be such hazard? Often our pet family members are attracted to play with these shiny long "worms" and like any other interesting prey, they have to bite or taste it! Once ingested, tinsel can either become trapped under the tongue as they try to swallow it, or should it make it down whole, it likes to wreak havoc on the gastrointestinal system. As the intestines contract, trying to move contents along, the stringy tinsel is hesitant to move. This results in an accordian-style bunching of the intestines which is not only painful, but also will usually result in vomiting, diarrhea and inappetance. If surgery is not performed to remove it in a timely matter, the trapped tinsel can actually start to saw through the intestines leading to perforations of the intestines and ultimately death!
To avoid this major risk, we have a simple solution: No tinsel in the house = No tinsel in the intestines!
If at any time, you have a concern that your pet may have ingested tinsel or any other potentially hazardous substance, always err on the side of caution and schedule an examination with one of our veterinarians!
Visit our Office
3259 Eastgate Drive
Regina, Saskatchewan S4Z1A4